This invention relates to an electronic connector capable of inserting or removing an opposite contact with a low inserting or removing force or without an inserting or removing force and in combination with a shape memory spring as an actuator of the contact.
Recently, as integrated circuits (such as ICs, LSIs) have progressed, electronic devices and equipment have become further enhanced in density and in function. Thus, the pitch of the contacts of connectors has been narrowed, and the number of the contacts has been increased. Here, indispensable problems arise in which inserting and removing forces of electronic parts or circuit boards have been increased as the number of contacts have been increased so that unreasonable forces must be exerted. When the components and the boards are inserted or removed by the unreasonable forces, the terminals of the circuit board to be inserted or the circuit board itself may become deformed or damaged or cause the contacting portion of the connector to be damaged or to be, in the worst case, broken.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and hence to reduce the inserting and removing forces of the components or the circuit boards, an electronic connector of the noninserting and nonremoving force type associated with a shaped memory spring as an actuator of a contact has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,500 issued to Krumme on Feb. 17, 1987.
However, since the conventional electronic connector has ordinarily employed a spring as a bias spring or a cam mechanism, its structure is complicated and the number of parts is increased so that there may arise problems related to high density and low cost production.